The Jalandhar municipal corporation has prima facie declared that the 10 shops constructed by Congress Bhawan authorities on the premises are illegal.

The Jalandhar municipal corporation has prima facie declared that the 10 shops constructed by Congress Bhawan authorities on the premises are illegal.

However, as a last chance the MC has asked the Congress district committee (urban) president to appear before it in person on April 26, with the relevant records, if any.

In February, the Punjab and Haryana high court had directed the MC to decide on a writ petition filed by an RTI activist and BJP leader Manit Malhotra.

The petition had challenged ownership rights on land allocated to district congress committee (urban) by the Jalandhar Improvement Trust in its 12.36-acre development scheme, known as Rajinder Nagar.

The committee had constructed 10 shops in the house line, meant for parking, sunlight and ventilation, in the posh Rajinder Nagar locality, violating the building bylaws, without even applying for the mandatory CLU (change of land use).

The rural district committee also violated several laws by constructing three shops without getting the mandatory building plan approved from the competent authority.

The JIT had allotted a 28-marla plot to the Congress party at a concessional price of Rs 16,915 nearly 38 years ago, but the allottee not only failed to pay the requisite amount in four equal installments, but also got constructed shops without obtaining mandatory change in use of land clearance, registration of conveyance deed and approval to the building, Malhotra said while appearing before joint commissioner MCJ, Anupam Kaler to record his statement.

"The Congress had paid just Rs 4,229 as the first installment and that too after two years after allotment. The allotment was cancelled for non-payment of dues. However, the then Congress-ruled Improvement Trust decided to re-allot the plot in 1980, by allowing the allottee to pay the rest of the due amount in three bi-annual instalments and also waived penal interest, terming the latter as a 'social' organisation. The Congress has not paid a single penny to the civic body as house tax over the past over 30 years, even as it continues to charge rent from these shopkeepers."

In an April 23 order, MC commissioner Vinay Bublani said: "Two notices were sent to district Congress committee president on April 9 and April 11, but no reply was received.

Even during a personal inspection, the organization was was asked to provide the sanctioned plan, but no document was supplied. When corporation officials went to take measurements on April 16, they were not permitted to do their job."

"Prima-facie it appears that there is no sanctioned plan of the building available and that the structure has been constructed without any approval or authority. The DCC (Urban) president is directed to appear on April 26, 2013 at 3 pm as a last opportunity, otherwise a decision will be made on the basis of facts and records available," read the order.